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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25740787">Dead</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiden_Ravelle/pseuds/Aiden_Ravelle'>Aiden_Ravelle</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnkhsAngel/pseuds/AnkhsAngel'>AnkhsAngel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kamen Rider Ex-Aid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:34:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25740787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiden_Ravelle/pseuds/Aiden_Ravelle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnkhsAngel/pseuds/AnkhsAngel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Co-written by Amy L./AnkhsAngel</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu woke feeling strange. He stood and looked around, trying to remember what happened. The last thing he remembered was walking down the street.. then he was mugged.. Emu froze as he looked down, his body laying on a table in the morgue. He tried to touch it, merge back into it, but nothing happened. He began panicking, backing up quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiriya pushed the door open with one hand, his other wrapped around Parad’s shoulders. The bugster looked exhausted, his eyes red and puffy. Kiriya didn’t look much better. The two approached the table, Parad’s steps getting slower the closer they got.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Parad... Kiriya..” Emu said quietly. He reached out to touch his bugster, but stopped just short of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Emu…” Parad burst into tears as he threw himself over the table. “I’m sorry…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. You know I wouldn’t leave you if I had the choice,” Emu sighed. “You can’t even hear me anyway.. What do I do now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go.. I’ll find a way to fix this..” Parad raised his head and looked at the doctor. “Don’t you </span>
  <b>dare</b>
  <span> disappear on me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can see me?” Emu looked surprised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bugster nodded rapidly. “Why didn’t you wait for me? I would have kept you safe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiriya sighed, putting a hand in his lab coat’s pocket. “Think you need to rest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Parad..” Emu was quiet for a moment before looking thoughtful, “Do you remember Takeru? Call him.. He has experience with ghosts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parad’s eyes brightened. “The little runt with the weird priest friend? I remember him. I’ll find his number..” He was suddenly sucked into a bugvisor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kiriya..” Emu looked up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Ace. But he needs to rest before he dies too.” The coroner brushed a hand over Emu’s cold head. “Gonna miss you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu sighed and sat down, staring numbly at his body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“LAZER! Let me out. I have to call Takeru to help Emu!” Parad slammed his fists into the screen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Emu’s beyond helping, M. Now rest, or I’ll sedate you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parad scowled. “Try it and I’ll deflate your tires. Now let me out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think he thinks you’re seeing things,” Emu said softly. “The more you fight him, the longer you’ll be stuck in there. Just relax for a while, I’ll manage until you can get free.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to be cremated, Emu! Tomorrow morning.. If I don’t get free…” Parad fought back the tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know..” Emu went silent. After a few moments, he spoke again. “I’ll try to find Takeru myself..” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, Lazer. Call Takeru. Just humor me and I’ll be quiet.” Parad begged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” Kiriya pulled out his phone. “What do you want me to tell him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Emu’s still here.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Takeru entered Seito University Hospital, looking around for anyone he recognized. Finally, he found his way to the morgue by following signs. He entered slowly, “Hello?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You came.” Kiriya looked at him in surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded and looked around, noticing Emu on the table. He winced until he noticed another Emu stand and approach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Parad can still see me, but no one else can,” Emu updated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Takeru nodded, “What happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu sighed, “I got mugged..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Happens to the best of us,” Takeru answered. “So we need to figure out how to help you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiriya was staring at Takeru in disbelief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The biggest question is, do we ask the heroes for help or find some kind of fix using bugster data?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu looked thoughtful, “I don’t know. I tried to merge with my body but it didn’t work.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does Parad think?” Takeru looked around for the bugster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I kind of sedated him.” Kiriya looked embarrassed. “Thought he was losing it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Takeru chuckled, “From a medical standpoint, that would make sense. But I’m more used to dealing with ghosts. Emu </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> here still, we just don’t know how to fix him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu waved at Kiriya, still knowing the coroner couldn’t see him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lazer, you’re a dead man. And no, I won’t let them bring you back.” Parad staggered out of the office, pausing when he saw Takeru. “At least you kept your word.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kiriya muttered a quiet apology as the bugster looked over at Emu with a sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Parad, do you think there’s a way to help him using bugster data somehow? Or should I try talking to the legendary heroes?” Takeru asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parad scratched his head. “If Emu had become data, we could do what we did to Lazer. But he didn’t..I haven’t a clue. My worry is what happens if his body is cremated..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’ll go talk to the heroes. Why don’t we head outside?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu nodded and followed the other rider out. After focusing for a few minutes, a large symbol appeared, floating up to the sky. Emu looked up in amazement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Takeru held his hand out to Emu. After the doctor took it, they began to rise up toward the symbol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minutes later, they were descending. They landed on the ground and Emu felt for a pulse. He soon found one and smiled at Takeru. They headed inside and Emu looked at the body still on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your other body wasn’t in good enough shape to just revive,” Takeru informed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu nodded slowly, wondering if he still had game disease if he had a whole new body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s okay, Emu.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Parad said softly in his ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu nodded again before looking over at Kiriya. “Sorry about all this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No worries, Ace.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu gave him a small smile before going silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A disappearing flurry of pixels caught the corner of his eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked over in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He teleported.” Kiriya reported.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu sighed then looked at Takeru. He thanked the other rider, before heading out of the hospital. He wandered a while until he found himself at a park, sitting on a swing and thinking about the day's events. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re alright, Emu. And I know you’ll do great things.” Parad murmured in his ear. “I wanted to see the sky before I left..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Left? Where are you going?” Emu asked quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. Guess wherever Graphite is.” Parad sat down on the other swing. “I asked that you be free of game disease. I got my wish.” He flickered in and out of existence, but the look he gave the doctor wasn’t sad. “You’re alive and that’s all that matters.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re important too! Why do you have to leave? I don’t want you to go..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parad’s expression turned puzzled. “Emu, you’re free.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to be free. I want you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why? I’m a virus. Something that’s been nothing but a burden.” His eyes stared at the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re my friend, Parad. I don’t want to live a life without you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Humans are weird. Most people want to be well, but you don’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want you more than I want to be well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Parad smiled softly. “I’m going to miss you. Don’t forget me, okay?” His pixels began disappearing as he turned his attention to the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu closed his eyes for a moment, focusing hard before holding his hand out. He began absorbing the pixels quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, the swing beside him was empty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Parad?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Emu? What did you do?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Saved you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Shouldn’t have.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t care. I can’t lose you..”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Stubborn.. Emu, I’m tired..”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Just rest for a while, okay?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A burst of love came over the bond, then quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emu continued to sit on the swing for a while, happy he was alive and that his best friend was still with him.</span>
</p>
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